Angel From the Ashes
by trusuprise
Summary: This is the tale of Yosho and Ryouko after their battle on Jurian Colony Planet 0315. A story of a compassionate warrior who learns to love and a tormented demon who learns to sacrifice.


Legal Disclaimer: All "Tenchi Muyo" references are copyrighted by Pioneer and AIC. This is an amateur non-commercial story, which is not produced, approved of, or sponsored by the holders of the trademarks/copyrights from which this work is derived. The views expressed herein are solely those of the author.   
  
Angel From the Ashes  
  
By: TruSuprise  
  
The speed of light and the force of gravity brought the two spaceships crashing through the stratosphere of Jurian Colony Planet number 0315. Trapped in the crafted wooden shell of the Jurian vessel, the smaller crystalline ship screamed out in terror as it launched another barrage of energy missiles. Lighted blasts shone on the hull of Jurian craft, it's shields having long ago been rendered useless. The ship shook from the close range attack and its wooden cannons aimed at its enemy and fired a round of pulse bullets, eliciting another scream from the captured ship.  
  
[Two minutes until impact with planetary surface. Initiating reverse thrusters.] The operating system of the Jurian ship stated, opening a channel for the Jurian warrior to inform the captive ship's pilot as well. The communication was met with maniacal laughing of a demon.  
  
The Jurian ship screamed with the sound of its reverse thrusters as it tried desperately to slow it's descent. The surface of the planet grew ever closer to the speeding projectiles. It had been unclear during their descent where they would land, their trajectory variably aimed at either a large ocean or at a small island land mass.  
  
[One minute until impact. Reverse thrusters full speed.]  
  
Despite the effort of the Jurian ship to slow their descent, the weight of it's captive only increased their speed. The two ships continued to fire all that remained in their arsenals, heedless of where their ships would impact.  
  
[Thirty seconds until impact. Destruction imminent.]  
  
Both pilots braced for impact, the captive ship still firing in vain.  
  
[Ten seconds until impact, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.]  
  
The Jurian ship landed on top of it's captive as together they made a deep crater in the Earth. The explosion caused the center of the crystalline ship to crack and begin to shatter. The wooden shell of the Jurian vessel exploded and organic projectiles were hurled in every direction as the two ships continued to tear the Earth in a trough tens of feet deep before finally exploding completely in the hole they had made.  
  
Flames grew from the center of the pit and thick black smoke billowed high into the sky, marking the annihilation of the two spaceships and many acres of woodland. Occasionally, sounds of plummeting shrapnel from the ships were heard falling through the canopy of the trees above, landing on the Earth below with a heavy thud.  
  
* * *  
  
As the smoke began to clear, a young man with long black hair shakily rose from the ground. A glowing sphere surrounded him; his force field had protected his body after being ejected from the bridge aboard his ship. The expression on his face told tales of his exhaustion, of his long journey and of his desire to wash his hands of his enemy. He carefully and slowly began his search of the wreckage for a survivor.  
  
His regal robes billowed above the ground about his ankles. The edges of the fine material were tattered and blackened from walking through the debris as he visually scanned the area of the destruction. He said a silent prayer for his destroyed ship and vowed he would find her seed to regrow her.  
  
Climbing down into the chasm made by their ships, he searched for any sign of his enemy, the demon, either dead or alive, of which he hoped the case to be the former. Coming to the core of what was once his ship, he placed his hand on the smooth material of what had been his bridge and living quarters. His eyes snapped open in surprise. He could sense that the essence of his ship was still alive! Looking to the top of the cracked dome, he could see, though damaged, the charred limbs of his tree.  
  
The man had not enough time to rejoice for the life of his ship as he suddenly spotted his enemy. His astute vision had found a shock of charred but clearly cyan hair, and he could see her body lying trapped beneath a section of the outer shell of his ship.  
  
The warrior pulled his sword hilt off his hip and even before he could swing it in front of his body, its blade was ignited. He scrambled over the debris to stand in front of the demon, the blade in his grip humming with power.  
  
Shakily, he led his blade to the demon's exposed neck before raising it high above his head. His palms were sweating around the hilt of his weapon as he prepared to deliver the final blow to her throat. Shutting his eyes, his muscles tightening, he followed his powerful swing through, its blade cutting through the thick air.  
  
Opening his eyes, he found his blade rested mere centimeters from the demon's delicate neck. For the life of him, he could not figure why he had stayed his hand.  
  
Suddenly, he found himself torn between killing her on the spot if she was not already dead or helping her. Squatting down a few feet from her prone and trapped body, he listened and watched for any signs of life. He could hear a faint, labored sound of ragged breaths.  
  
Leaning forward, the young man reached for her exposed arm, gently feeling her wrist for a pulse. Sliding his finger around an odd red gem that seemed to be imbedded into her wrist, he felt a faint but positive pulse running through her veins. Removing his hand from her wrist, the gem glinted brightly in the sun that streamed through the dissipating smoke above them. He then noticed that she also had an identical gem in her other wrist, as well as her neck.  
  
Feeling torn again between delivering her death and saving her life, his compassion over ruled him, and he got up and grabbed an edge of the shell that had trapped her. His muscles screamed for mercy as he carefully pulled the heavy piece of wood off the woman before tossing it to the ground next to her.  
  
Collapsing to his knees next to her and rubbing his shaking arms, the woman moaned in pain. Lying on her stomach, her face and body dirty from mud and smoke; blood and bruises showed through rips in her clothes. Indeed, in her state she seemed incapable of being the feared demon that he had chased from his planet. He backed up slightly and kept one hand on his energy sword, her reputation and past deeds still enough for the warrior to be on his guard. It was obvious that she was in great pain; her eyes were squinted shut as she continued to moan.  
  
Cursing his compassion, the man pitied the woman. Against his better judgment, he reached his hand out to the woman's arm.  
  
Her eyes snapped open at the feel of his touch. Golden pupils looked up at the man, and her face contorted into a look of desperate confusion. She blinked and then those golden orbs locked onto the form of the warrior and suddenly, a green haze came over her once beautiful eyes. The woman growled deeply in her throat, a noise of a cornered animal. Her brows furrowed as aggression filled her features. She had become the demon once more. She stumbled into a standing position, favoring her right side slightly as she clenched her fist to form an orange energy sword which reluctantly came to life in her palm.  
  
Pulling his sword hilt off his belt and igniting its blade, the young man suddenly understood. Her sudden change in behavior and the brief glance into her eyes had provided him with all he had needed to know: that the woman was somehow being controlled. By whom he did not know, but that person was the reason why she had been named a demon.  
  
The tattered soul in front of the warrior breathed raggedly. Her shoulders were slumped, her burnt and tattered red and black battle outfit barely hung onto her body. In a flash of cyan, the demon darted, her sword held in front of her. As if she had lost her humanity, no audible words came from her mouth, but she made sounds like that of a charging beast.  
  
The man steeled himself as they locked blades, blue and orange clashing against each other and white, hot sparks showered the ground at their feet. The Jurian warrior could sense that the demon had little energy left, although he knew all too well that he was also exhausted.  
  
The two danced a dangerous fight as swords clashed, energy orbs flew through the air and wooden constraint logs and force fields commonly appeared as they each fought for the upper hand. The warrior could feel the demon getting sloppy as her exhaustion overcame her, and he realized that he had let several easy kills go without claiming her life, pulling his sword too soon.  
  
The Jurian realized he did not wish to kill her and he berated himself for his weakness. He momentarily went to war with his own mind. This woman had destroyed his capital city. She had wreaked havoc among his people; she had caused the death of uncountable numbers of innocents. Even if it was not her will to do so as he now suspected, did that make her innocent?  
  
He decided he could not so easily make a decision, so he began to think of a way of neutralizing her powers, to incapacitate her without killing her as he bided himself time to make a decision. As he continued to block her deadly advances, he focused again on those strange red jewels imbedded in her wrists.  
  
Taking a chance and trusting his instinct, he lunged forwards and sliced at the demon, who back-pedaled and prepared to phase away. She was too slow. The warrior's sword severed both her hands below the wrist. The disembodied hands fell to the ground with a wet, sickening noise. The injury was too great for her body to cope with after all the pain and exhaustion she had experienced since their battle in space had begun many days ago. The demon's eyes rolled back into her head and she fell backwards, her limp body bouncing slightly once it hit the ground.  
  
The warrior ran to the demon and stood above her, his sword still held in front of him. As he looked at the pathetic creature so close to death, he felt endless pity for her. He noticed that her eyes had returned to the golden color he had seen when she had first awoken.  
  
"Kill me." The demon whispered in a voice so inaudible it was barely heard as she choked on the fluids in her throat. She had barely enough strength to speak.  
  
Although one part of his mind demanded he slay the demon that had ravaged his home world, the warrior looked at her with great compassion. Somehow he was sure that she was not at fault for her actions. For in her golden orbs, he had seen a soul who begged for forgiveness.  
  
* * *  
  
Birds sang and a warm breeze drifted through the open doors as slowly, the woman regained consciousness. She felt as though her entire body was steeped in pain. 'Am I dead?' She asked herself. The soothing sounds and peaceful atmosphere could only mean that one thing. She slowly opened her eyes and found that she was looking up at a wooden and plaster ceiling. A warm blanket lay on top of her, and a soft pillow propped her head up. Her body felt clean and the clothes surrounding her body felt soft and comforting against her skin.  
  
Memories of her battle with the Jurian flooded back to her and she suddenly tried to sit up and form her energy sword to defend herself. Her strength couldn't help her to do either, and so she collapsed back into the futon.  
  
"You are not well enough to sit up. You've been out for almost a week now." A voice said calmly.  
  
The demon turned to the sound of the voice and saw the Jurian, sitting on his knees a few feet away from her. Seeing the man who had chased her from Jurai, causing her to forfeit her mission, she waited for the instincts to take over her body as she knew they would. She waited to feel herself lose control over her movements, to hear herself hiss and begin to attack her enemy. A confused expression contorted her face when nothing happened. The Jurian took in all of this.  
  
Her own internal system suddenly realized something was missing, and her next thought made her pull her arms out from underneath the blanket to look at her wrists. Her hands had regenerated themselves, but her gems were not there. One hand grabbed at her neck to find her third gem still imbedded in her skin.  
  
"I took two of them from you. For safe keeping." The man said as he lifted his sword hilt up.  
  
The woman before him tensed her body and squinted her eyes as though she expected him to activate his blade and swing it at her. After a few moments had passed, she slowly opened her eyes and looked at the man who was calmly holding the hilt before her to see. Her gems were now somehow imbedded in its base.  
  
"Give them to me, they're mine." She demanded.  
  
"If I am right that they are the source of your power, then I will not give them back to you." He replied, as strong willed as the woman who lay before him. He had been as surprised as she that whatever power the gems harbored could communicate with that of his Jurian powers, his sword had gladly agreed to host the gems.  
  
"Then why didn't you take all of them?" The demon asked moodily.  
  
The warrior sighed. "You had little life energy left. I worried that had I taken all three, you would not have survived."  
  
"You should have killed me anyway! I told you to!" She replied angrily, the force of her words caused her to cough, a faint metallic taste staining her mouth.  
  
"I can not kill one who is not responsible for their actions." Came the curt reply. This made the woman consider his words. "You were being controlled, were you not?" After a few moments she nodded, hesitantly. "Then why are you not being controlled now?"  
  
Silence passed for a few moments as though the woman was looking for something in her mind, searching for an answer. "Our link is gone. He...thinks I am dead."  
  
"He?"  
  
"Kagato."  
  
The pieces came together for the Jurian. The one who had controlled this woman was none other than the Ruins Buster, claimer of artifacts. "Why were you sent to Jurai?"  
  
"My job was to retrieve some kind of original tree from the vault inside the palace...before you chased me off the planet."  
  
The warrior sucked in air abruptly. "He sent you to steal Tsunami?!"  
  
"Yeah. Something like that." The demon replied, tiredly looking at the ceiling, her eyelids drooping as she fought to stay awake.  
  
Letting the information sink in and putting it behind him, the man then asked, "What is your name?"  
  
The woman rolled her head to the side to look the warrior in the eye. "My name is...Ryouko." She said quietly.  
  
"Ryouko, I am Yosho. You are tired, and in pain, and you must rest."  
  
Ryouko looked back up at the ceiling before closing her eyes. 'He called me by my name...' She thought to herself. Focusing on the cheerful sounds of the chirping birds and the warm sun shining on her face through the open window, she sunk back into unconsciousness.  
  
* * *  
  
The late afternoon sun hung high in the sky, promising many hours of daylight to come. The heat and humidity of the late summer day hung like a sheet over the land. Two weeks had past and Ryouko was slowly but surely getting stronger. She was still prone to fading in and out of consciousness and sleeping many hours at a time, but she was healing, both physically and mentally. Of that, Yosho was sure.  
  
She and Yosho were residing in a house that must have belonged to a local that had either fled from the crash site, or been killed from the crash itself. It was a modest dwelling, with only two rooms, a bath, and a small cooking area. The house was a moderate walk from the crash site, further up the mountain and it suited their needs well. It was sparsely furnished but held food, clothes and supplies that had lasted them well.  
  
Talk was limited between the two. Yosho was a naturally quiet, contemplative person. Ryouko was distrustful of the Jurian, still expecting him to slay her, and naturally the kind of person who spoke when she had a clearly defined thought or opinion. In her time being cared for by Yosho, she found that her feelings and thoughts had been turned upside down, never before having experienced anything like it.  
  
In Ryouko's life of pain and torture, she was constantly either alone and confined or being controlled and molded to conform to Kagato's will. Never before had she had one on one interaction with a being other than her master or her ship. Her primary emotions centered between loneliness and almost a desperate desire to cease to exist, to end her suffering under Kagato's control.  
  
Yosho's kindness and gentle compassion were so alien to her that she could barely communicate with him at first, let alone allow him to care for her.  
  
"You must try to eat." Yosho's patient voice stated.  
  
Ryouko turned her head away from him and sighed. "I told you I don't need food or water to survive. And what do you care anyway?"  
  
The sound of the buzzing cicadas hummed through the air as the humid heat pressed down heavily upon them. Even the drawn curtains did nothing to cool the room. Yosho wiped an errant drop of sweat from his forehead as he avoided her last question, but answered her first. "The nutrition will speed your recovery process. Now you must take some food."  
  
Ryouko rolled her eyes into her head and sighed again, reluctantly giving in to the Jurian as she lifted her head slightly for him to prop another pillow under her head to elevate her. Silently he fed her pieces of bland food with a set of chopsticks. Boiled salmon, steamed rice, and bits of seaweed were hesitantly eaten by the demon. Yosho chuckled.  
  
"What's so funny?"  
  
Yosho smiled at her. "You are so hesitant, one would think I would have poisoned your meal."  
  
"And maybe you should have! I don't see why you didn't get rid of me when you had the chance."  
  
The Jurian's eyes softened. "My feeling has not changed, Ryouko. I still believe you are a good person inside, no matter how hard you try to hide it."  
  
At this, Ryouko blushed faintly, and the emotion was not lost on Yosho.  
  
* * *  
  
Ryouko had learned many things from Yosho, who had both nursed her back to health and kept a watchful eye over her. She was not foolish enough to think that he did not expect that she might revert to her old ways and attempt to kill him. The man slept always on a futon in the opposite corner of her room, his sword hilt in hand should she try anything in the night.  
  
The cyan haired woman tossed and turned in the depths of the night, kicking her blanket half way off her body. The moonlight filtered in through the open windows, the round orb on the horizon obscured by the canopy of trees outside the humble dwelling. A gentle early fall breeze blew through the house, creating goosebumps on Ryouko's exposed leg. Off in the distance, an owl cried into the night.  
  
The woman began murmuring quiet incoherent words as her eyes squeezed tightly shut, her brows furrowed. A hand lashed out and grabbed the empty air above her, her head shaking back and forth. The murmurs became louder as words began to form.  
  
"No...don't...make...me..."  
  
Ryouko raised her arms as if fending off a physical attack before suddenly jumping out of her bed, jolted awake, clenching her fist to call her energy blade to her. Still weakened and not fully recovered, the blade sputtered in and out of existence, like a flame in the early fall breeze. Suddenly, she yelled out, "KAGATO!"  
  
Yosho jolted awake, seeing the demon standing in the middle of the room, her energy beam ignited. Fearing that she had turned against him, he grabbed the sword hilt at his side, threw his covers from him and leapt at her.  
  
Not until he had locked swords with her did he realize that she was dreaming some kind of terrible nightmare. When her energy beam gave away to the power of his Jurian blade, she fell to the tatami mat floor, her body curling into a fetal position as though she were defending her body from some unknown assailant.  
  
Yosho deactivated his blade and tossed the hilt aside, forgotten as he scrambled to the ground where Ryouko lay. "Ryouko! Ryouko! Are you alright?" He shouted at her, reaching his hand out to shake her quivering back.  
  
The physical contact only made her worse as she continued to scream. Yosho was at a loss, he did not know how to make her wake up, if she was really asleep at all. He settled on the only thought he had to help her calm down.  
  
The Jurian warrior crouched down next to the frenzied woman and wrapped his arms around her front, pulling her into a sitting position as he cradled her back into his chest. If shouting and shaking were ineffective, perhaps the opposite would cure her. "Ryouko, it's alright, You're only dreaming." He said quietly, over and over, holding the shaking woman's body close to him.  
  
Slowly, Ryouko began to relax. Her shouting ceased, her sobbing came to a slow halt, and eventually, her breathing became slow and constant. To Yosho, it felt as though she were asleep sitting up in his arms.  
  
"Thank...you." Ryouko's voice quietly said into the chill room, her head pointed down toward her knees as though she were ashamed to thank someone.  
  
Yosho said nothing, but continued to hold her close until her shaking stopped and she finally fell asleep again. 'Kagato is still very much alive in her. Could he be looking for her?' He wondered to himself.  
  
* * *  
  
During the day, Yosho spent most of his time exploring the land around their dwelling, learning about the nearby town and neighbors as well as picking up any needed supplies. Their evenings were spent cooking as he relayed the interactions he had with the locals during the day.  
  
The locals believed Yosho to be a traveler from another town who had taken up residence on the mountain. He had learned enough of their culture, which was similar enough to his due to his mother's Earth lineage, to take the appearance that he had traveled to the mountain to eventually build a Shinto shrine there.  
  
Ryouko was now doing well enough that she was able to leave the house, and while Yosho was gone, she would take to short walks in the forest around their home. Every day that went by, she felt stronger and more sure of herself as her energy returned to her. Some of her powers had returned. She could form a solid energy blade, she could hover in the air, and could teleport short distances. In all her free time, she couldn't help but wonder why she was still alive, why Yosho hadn't killed her, why he had been so kind to her. She wanted answers.  
  
Adjusting a large sack that he held secured over his shoulder, Yosho finally arrived at the front door of his home after a trip into town. Sliding the door aside, he stepped in, and kicked the sandals off his feet. He set his sack down on the raised floor, his hand traveling to his side where his sword hilt rested, as he still did before greeting Ryouko. Looking up, he saw she was already in the room to greet him, kneeling at the sunken fire pit in the cooking area, getting the fire started. Fall had crept upon them, and a crisp breeze blew a single golden leaf through an open window.  
  
The two locked eyes and silently nodded, as if on cue.  
  
"You are feeling well? It is good to see you moving about so often."  
  
"I'm fine. I've been getting bored."  
  
"Understandable."  
  
Yosho began to tell Ryouko about his day in town, pulling items out of his sack that would need to be placed in cupboards.  
  
"Yosho, stop." Ryouko said, her face expressionless, her voice monotone. Yosho looked at Ryouko, confused. "We need to talk. I want some answers." Yosho nodded, and waited for her to continue. "Why...why did you spare my life?"  
  
"I've told you before. I believe that you are a good person."  
  
"But I've killed so many." Ryouko said quietly, not able to meet Yosho's eyes.  
  
"You've told me before that you were being controlled, forced to commit those actions."  
  
"But I'm still responsible, damnit! Those people died at MY hands, not Kagato's!"  
  
Yosho rested a comforting hand atop of Ryouko's. "Then you must find some way to atone for your sins and bring worth to your life. Then, and only then, can you put your past behind you."  
  
Ryouko sighed and glanced away. "You make it sound so easy."  
  
"It is, really." Yosho replied. Ryouko smirked, everything was so black and white for this man she had been sharing a house with for two month's time. "There is something else that is bothering you, I can see it, Ryouko."  
  
The woman second guessed herself before blurting out, "Why have you been so kind to me?"  
  
This question caught Yosho off guard. He sighed deeply. This was one question that had no black or white answer to it. "Many reasons." He simply said.  
  
Ryouko looked at him, her eyes asking him to continue.  
  
"At first, I thought it unfair for you to die solely based on your actions. I knew you were being controlled, and I could not bring myself to take your life when you were ultimately not at fault." Ryouko nodded, assuming that Yosho had completed his speech.  
  
"Then, I felt pity for you," Yosho continued, ignoring Ryouko's hard glare upon him. "I know you find it hard to accept the concern of others, but you needed help, and I wanted to be the one to help you." The Jurian warrior glanced down at his knees. "When I saw you in person for the first time, helpless and near death, trapped under my ship, I just knew that I had to help you. I... I can not describe this."  
  
This time it was Yosho's turn to blush, and upon seeing the redness on his face, Ryouko glanced away as well.  
  
"Can I show you something? I think it might be able to explain for me better than my words are able." Yosho asked quietly. Ryouko looked at him questioningly. "It will be a fair walk to get there, down to the bottom of the mountain.  
  
"I can manage it." Ryouko replied, standing up.  
  
The chill air nipped at the warrior and the demon as they walked slowly down the side of the mountain in relative silence. The turning leaves danced to the ground from the limbs above them, showering the dirt path with hues of gold, red, orange and brown. The blue sky was sharp and bright, the heavy orange sun growing close to the horizon as they reached the base of the mountain.  
  
Stepping out of the forest, Yosho led Ryouko to a large clearing in which a crater, tens of feet deep and more than could be easily counted across lay in the middle of. To one side of the crater was a mound, and growing from that mound was a magnificent tree, taller and wider than any in the forest surrounding them.  
  
"Is this..."  
  
"My ship. Funaho." Ryouko looked on in awe. "She has taken root."  
  
"Then that means that you can't use her to return to Jurai..."  
  
Yosho nodded, gazing at his space tree. "There was something more important that I had to do before I left this planet, and in that time, she had taken root."  
  
"Then, it's my fault that you're stranded here." Ryouko began.  
  
"No, not your fault, Ryouko. I asked Funaho for her guidance. I told her how I felt, I told her what I wanted to do, and she supported me. She decided to stay as well.  
  
Ryouko stared in awe at the giant space tree growing from the crater. Funaho's green leaves grew bright and in abundance despite the Earthen trees changing color around her. Char marks were healing around her upper branches where new buds were preparing to bloom as they swayed gently in the breeze.  
  
Taking a moment to examine the mound from which Funaho had sunk her roots, there was no mistaking that Funaho was growing strongly through the remains of her ship, Ryo-ohki. That Funaho and Ryo-ohki's power were compatible was enough of a shock to Ryouko, but she pushed the thought aside as she held a relative moment of silence for her fallen sister.  
  
Yosho gently placed Ryouko's hand on Funaho's bark. Then, as if the world reversed into a negative image, Ryouko was being shown the tree ship's memories.  
  
Begin Funaho's memories...  
  
Yosho stood before the giant tree, clad in the Jurian clothes he had worn when he arrived. "Funaho, dear Funaho, please give me guidance."  
  
The tree emitted several beams of prism colored light, a type of speech that only Jurians could understand. Suddenly, Ryouko began to feel, rather than hear the words that Funaho spoke.  
  
"You are here about the woman you spared."  
  
"Yes. I know she was being controlled, forced to do the things she did to Jurai. She is not to blame for her actions. She is so near death, Funaho, and I do not want to see her die. She is so fragile, delicate, and beautiful. I know she would become a wonderful person if just given the chance."  
  
"What of the people of our planet, brother? Will they see things as you do?"  
  
Yosho glanced down at his feet, frustration apparent upon his features. "No, Funaho. They would not. And as Prince of Jurai, I understand my duty should be to bring her to her death for the atrocities that she has committed to our planet. I tried to slay her, I tried so hard! But I just could not force myself to the deliver the final blow."  
  
Yosho paused a moment, and Funaho urged him to continue with a gentle probing of her language.  
  
"At first I thought I had spared her life so that I could return home with her as my captive and let the people of Jurai choose her fate. However, now...I cannot let them do that, for I know that they would not show her mercy, and I cannot bear to see her put to death now after saving her and spending so much time with her. The decision that I made to spare her then life no longer carries a simple explanation."  
  
"Your feelings for that woman run deep."  
  
"Do not be jealous, sister." Yosho replied with a quiet chuckle. Funaho emitted several more strands of lights in what could only be interpreted as laughter. Yosho smiled gently. "I will not deny it."  
  
"Then, my advice would be to stay and tend to her."  
  
"But sister, you will..."  
  
"I know I will take root, and that is alright with me if it is what you wish for."  
  
"Funaho..."  
  
Before he could continue, Funaho interrupted him. "And what of your family, dear Yosho?"  
  
"I will not send word."  
  
"You are still angry at your fate of a Prince who is but half Jurian?"  
  
Yosho smirked. "Should I send word, they will force me to bring her back to Jurai to stand trial. Besides, the life of a Prince was not meant for me."  
  
"I agree."  
  
"Funaho, I want to know how you feel about staying here."  
  
The leaves of the great tree rustled in breeze. "I like it here."  
  
End Funaho's memories.  
  
Ryouko stood, stunned. Her own vision returned to her as Funaho released her grip on the woman's mind, her hand slipping slowly from the rough bark of Funaho's trunk. Unsure of what to say, she took long moments to collect her thoughts as Yosho allowed the exchange between Funaho and Ryouko to sink in.  
  
"I owe you my life." Ryouko finally managed to spit out.  
  
"I merely saved the life of a dying person."  
  
Eye to eye, Ryouko turned to look at Yosho, glaring at him, her cyan hair sweeping behind her. "You threw away your title and stranded yourself on this planet to save me."  
  
"I did not wish for the life I was given in the first place."  
  
Ryouko's fist clenched, her knuckles turned white and she shouted at Yosho, "Is that all then? Was this just a convenient excuse for you to throw away your responsibility?"  
  
Yosho's face turned into a frown and he reached a hand out to Ryouko's arm.  
  
Ryouko swatted at the Jurian's hand and continued. "Is it my lot in life to be nothing more than a pawn, a piece of someone else's game? A being with no purpose or personal worth!?" Electricity began to jump around Ryouko's quivering body as her anger grew. "Are you men all the same!?"  
  
"Ryouko!" Yosho understood his mistake and desperately thought of a way to neutralize the situation. His words were not reaching her as Ryouko began hovering inches from the ground. He could sense that she was preparing to attack.  
  
Yosho suddenly leapt at the hovering woman, throwing his arms around her back, pulling her down into him.  
  
Panting from exhaustion after using such power, Ryouko continued to shake. "Let me go!" She shouted as she tried to push away from the Jurian.  
  
"Ryouko, listen to me, please!" Yosho cried out as Ryouko tiredly pounded on his chest, shaking her head from side to side. Finally giving in, Ryouko surrendered to the sensation of Yosho's warm embrace and merely laid her head on his chest, silent tears rushing down her face.  
  
"I didn't mean it the way it came out. It is true that I no longer wanted to be the Prince of Jurai. You see, I am only half Jurian. The other half of me is Earthen. Yes, the very people of this planet are my kin. The people of Jurai are very predijuiced, and my rule was met with much opposition, slander, and even hate. Every move I made as Prince was carefully scripted and controlled. I did not wish to live, let alone rule in such an environment."  
  
Yosho sighed deeply, running his hands through Ryouko's thick, but surprisingly soft hair. "You and I are not so different from each other, Ryouko. My form of captivity was only less cruel than what you were subjected to."  
  
"Yosho, I-" Ryouko began,  
  
"However," Yosho interrupted her. "This is not the reason why I chose to stay by your side. You see, during the time I nursed you back to health, the more time we spent together, the more I learned about you...I"  
  
Ryouko lifted her head from Yosho's chest, looking at him questioningly.  
  
Yosho glanced off to the side before gathering his courage to look her in the eyes. "I began to fall for you."  
  
Ryouko caught her breath in her mouth at Yosho's confession.  
  
"I began to realize that you were the reason I did not want to return to Jurai. I could not leave you any more than I could bring you back to my planet to face trial. I...I..."  
  
Ryouko tilted her head and silenced the Jurian, kissing him softly on the lips. Yosho went rigid beneath her touch, and then slowly gave in, melting into her embrace as she tightened her hold around his waist.  
  
Breaking the kiss, Ryouko looked at Yosho with half hooded lids. "You Jurians are all talk."  
  
With that, Yosho's hands grabbed Ryouko's kimono, pulling her into his body as he leaned in, kissing her passionately as the two sunk to the ground below.  
  
In the canopy above them, Funaho sent numerous strands of her prism colored light bouncing off the surface of the lake.  
  
* * *  
  
Months had past. Fall turned to winter and a think blanket of snow had covered the land. Work had begun on the shrine that was the cover of Yosho's disguise. Ryouko had fit into his plan, but her position was unfitting for the actual role she played in Yosho's life. To the locals, she became his cousin that was helping him to build the shrine, as Shinto priests were known to practice abstinence.  
  
Between Yosho, Ryouko and a few locals of the neighboring town, they had planned and begun construction on the building. When no one else was present, Ryouko would use her now fully restored powers to lift large beams and supplies. She would keep her powers to a minimum when others were around so as to not arouse the locals' suspicion.  
  
The locals believed that the cause of the great explosion only five months ago was caused by a great angel falling from heaven and becoming a demon once impacting the earth. Yosho allowed this misconception to pass, it was a good cover for his new shrine. Ryouko found it humorous and often teased Yosho of his conquest upon the evil demon.  
  
The two were walking through snow-covered trails on the side of the mountain. Ryouko carried two bentou boxes wrapped in an old, tattered fabric. Luckily, Yosho was a decent enough cook, as the cyan haired woman had no skill in the subject, no matter how hard Yosho would try to teach her. They were making a picnic out of scouting their property and were currently looking for a nice spot to lie out their meal.  
  
Walking between two tall pines and into a clearing, Ryouko spotted a perfect picnic place. Skipping ahead of Yosho, she bounded into the mouth of a covered cave. The opening was tall, and she could stand comfortably inside of it. The lighting was dim, but it seemed as though the cave was larger than could be seen from its mouth.  
  
Yosho caught up with Ryouko and stepped into the cave. "At least it will keep us warm and sheltered."  
  
Ryouko spun within the mouth of the cave. "I think it's a pretty neat place, Yo-chan."  
  
Yosho smiled at his lover and sat down, taking the bentou from Ryouko and placing it on the floor of the cave's opening. Outside, a light snow began to fall again, and the quiet noise of snowflakes falling on the blanket of snow was soothing as they shared their meal.  
  
"Do you miss Jurai?" Ryouko asked. She was still learning how to make casual conversation.  
  
Yosho concentrated on a single snowflake as it made its slow descent from the heavens above. "Well it is cold on this planet." He looked at Ryouko, a small amount of mischief in his eyes. "But I wouldn't give it up for the universe."  
  
Ryouko responded with a slight blush.  
  
Eating their meal in silence, Ryouko's mind began to wander. The gray sky continued to pour flakes of snow, and she watched as the snow built up on the branches of the gray, hibernating trees above them. As her unbridled thoughts often did in silence, she began to think about her past.  
  
The thoughts sickened Ryouko, and she dreamed of the atrocities she had committed often. Many nights had Yosho needed to calm her down from her waking dreams. She had not yet found peace within herself.  
  
"You must find some way to atone for your sins and bring worth to your life."  
  
Yosho's words rang as clearly in her head as they had since the day he had spoke them. She believed that she had found not only a reason to live, but also worth in her life, living the simple life she shared with Yosho. The one thing she felt she had not accomplished was to atone for her sins. Try as she may for months, she had not figured a way in which to do that.  
  
She began to think about the memories she had shared with Funaho, about Yosho's insistence to not bring Ryouko to trial. 'But wouldn't admitting my sins to the Jurian people atone for my sins? Even if they do find me guilty, would I at least be free of this burden?'  
  
"Ryouko?" The cyan haired woman tore her gaze away from the treetops and she looked at Yosho quizzically. "What were you thinking about?"  
  
"Nothing. Nothing at all." She replied, smiling serenely as she leaned against her lover's warm body in the shelter of the cave.  
  
* * *  
  
Early morning crept slowly and silently in the minutes before dawn broke. The early spring breeze rattled the doorframe of the small house and Ryouko prepared to teleport herself out of the house. Glancing over at Yosho, snuggled asleep beside her, she offered him a soft smile and a kiss on the forehead before vanishing.  
  
She reappeared at the clearing of the crater from which Funaho stood, growing ever larger and stronger. The crater had begun to fill with water from the spring rains and irises and tulips had begun to bloom around the crater's edges. Yosho had told her that it would become a great lake eventually.  
  
The first golden orange rays of dawn began to break over the mountaintops above her as Ryouko approached Funaho. She bowed deeply, pushing aside her casual manner in the largest effort she had ever made to be serious.  
  
Today was the day she was to begin to atone for her sins. She had told herself this over and over, despite her fear of every possible outcome. This was something she had to do for herself. Funaho acknowledged her presence by emitting several rays of light onto the growing pond below her roots.  
  
"Funaho, I would like to send a report to Jurai."  
  
Funaho answered with a combination of light that made Ryouko feel as though she was questioning her.  
  
"Because the Jurian people need to know that I am truly sorry for the acts that I've committed against them, and that I didn't mean to do the things that I've done. I don't want to hide behind the fact that Kagato controlled me. I still feel responsible for the lives I've taken, but I want them to know the truth behind my deeds."  
  
Ryouko paused, her heart beating heavily. "Also, please inform Yosho's family that he is alive and well. I'm sure they are very worried about him. Please also tell them that he has been holding me captive, so they don't think he has been irresponsible in his duties."  
  
"Are you sure, child? My report could cause consequences of which you may not be prepared for." Funaho told Ryouko silently, her branches and leaves rustling in the spring breeze. Stray sakura blossoms floated over the barren crater.  
  
Ryouko bowed once again, showing her resolve.  
  
Funaho's leaves turned towards the heavens, and all her beams of light coalesced into one as they shot through Earth's stratosphere, sending Ryouko's message to the planet Jurai.  
  
Tucked into their futon, Yosho stirred and rolled over, as though a bad dream had trampled across his mind.  
  
Moments later, deep in space, a dark, scientific mind saw a message from a Jurian Space Tree bulleting through space. His curiosity peaked, he set aside a program he was working on to recover his lost slave to instead begin a program to decode the meaning of the space tree's message.  
  
* * *  
  
Spring turned into summer and the last board was nailed to the Masaki Shrine. Yosho had named the shrine in honor of his mother, and had let Ryouko hammer the last nail. The locals burst into cheers as a ribbon was cut, and the small ceremony turned into a bustling party celebrating the completion of the new shrine.  
  
The red tiled roof shone dully in the warm sunlight as the celebration reached the late afternoon hours. Shimenawa and lighted lanterns lined the trees around the shrine and their small home as Ryouko carried bottles of sake and passed the cool liquid to their guests.  
  
Yosho came to stand next to her as they quietly watched the locals. "It's hard to believe how far we have come in barely a year."  
  
Ryouko nodded and rested her head on Yosho's shoulder. "Life couldn't be better."  
  
Yosho moved to wrap his arm around Ryouko when suddenly she dropped to the ground, clutching her head.  
  
"Ryouko! Ryouko! What's wrong!?"  
  
A few of the nearby party goers turned to see the girl on the ground in pain and began to advance. Quickly, they froze in place when a tall man suddenly appeared, as if tearing through a rip in the empty air before them. His long pale hair and pale features were sharp and angular. A set of round, shaded glasses rested on his nose and full-length robes covering his body.  
  
Yosho's hand flew to his hip, at the ready to grab his sword hilt.  
  
"Well, well, Ryouko. So this is where you've been hiding." He said coolly.  
  
Still clutching her head, Ryouko spat the man's name. "Kagato!"  
  
Fear gripping his heart, Yosho ignited his blade. Kagato glanced at him out of the corner of his eye casually. Yosho crouched into an attack stance and sprung forward at the man, slashing his sword. He leapt right through the figure, his blade slicing into nothingness.  
  
"It's his shadow! He's not even here, that bastard!" Ryouko cried out.  
  
Kagato chuckled to himself before continuing. "Yes, this must be the man that you spoke of. This Yosho. What, did you think I wasn't smart enough to find you? It was your transmission to Jurai that led me to you. Very sloppy, very sloppy indeed."  
  
Yosho looked at Ryouko questiongly.  
  
"Enough small talk." Kagato smirked. "Ryouko, eliminate this man!"  
  
Instantly, the green haze that Yosho remembered so well again blanketed Ryouko's eyes. Her shoulders slumped, she acquired a fighting stance, and with a flex of her palm, she called forth her energy sword.  
  
"Ryouko! Fight him, you must fight him! Don't let him take control of you!" Yosho screamed desperately at his lover.  
  
As if Ryouko were fighting an internal battle, the green haze flickered for the briefest of moments, her golden pupils shining through the sickly green haze.  
  
"Yosho." She whispered.  
  
Kagato snarled and grunted, and the green haze only intensified as it conquered her fragile mind. Ryouko lifted her energy beam and formed an attack stance.  
  
"She only has one gem. She should be easy game for you, boy" Kagato snarled.  
  
Ryouko rushed Yosho and the two locked blades. Yosho gritted his teeth, fending her off. "Why would you have me destroy her, Kagato?" He tried reasoning with him.  
  
"She is no longer of any use to me. She has failed her last mission and I can build something better. She is, how do you say, waste product. She deserves to be destroyed."  
  
Yosho and Ryouko traded blows, Ryouko sliced at Yosho's head as the Jurian blocked and backed away. "Why do you get to decide her fate? Just let her be, she's served you long enough, stop tormenting her!"  
  
Kagato looked at Yosho in disgust. "Foolish human. You let your feelings get in the way. I leave you no choice. Destroy her, or she will destroy you. I will stay within range of her control until a winner is decided...Ta ta."  
  
Kagato's shadow disappeared in the same manner in which he arrived. By this time, the locals had fled the battlefield, afraid for their lives as they realized the demon had returned.  
  
Yosho frantically tried to reason with Ryouko, all the while blocking her advances. It was true she was weaker with only one gem, but that did not make the fight easy. Yosho racked his brain, thinking of a way to bring Ryouko back to herself, but every time he came up blank.  
  
Finally tiring Ryouko out to the point where he could knock her down by sheer force of their colliding blades, he threw his body on top of her, holding her shoulder blades as her energy sword faded out of existence and his sword hilt dropped to the ground next to him.  
  
"Ryouko, you must listen to me, you must fight him! I can not take your life!" He called to her desperately.  
  
Grunting, Ryouko continued to struggle beneath him, trying to push him off of her to form her sword again. Managing to clasp two hands together, she roared as she created a small but powerful energy bolt. Releasing it, Yosho shouted as it impacted his abdomen. He scrambled off Ryouko, falling to the ground and clutching at his stomach.  
  
Ryouko stood above him cackling, her sword again in her palm as she looked down at the Jurian on his back in the dirt. She held her blade above her head as the man looked at her desperately. Shutting her eyes, she swung her arms down, her blade trained for his neck.  
  
Yosho squinted and prepared himself, waiting for the inevitable. Seconds passed, and gathering the courage to peer out of one eye, he could see the halted blade a bear inch above his neck. He could feel the power and vibration of the orange weapon in front of him. His body shook underneath the blade as Ryouko held her violently shaking body in place, fighting against Kagato's control.  
  
"Please, Ryouko, fight him! I can't lose you now!" Yosho shouted.  
  
His stomach plummeted; he knew she was fighting a losing battle. Ryouko banished her light sword and took a step forward to stand at Yosho's feet. Her arms jerkily rose before her and she created another energy bolt in front of her chest. Her hands shook as she aimed the projectile down towards Yosho.  
  
The Jurian had never seen such energy. The bolt between her palms was bright white and shone like a star. It was as if that bolt held every ounce of energy in Ryouko's body. Stretching her shaking arms before her, Yosho stood in the path of the bolt.  
  
Ryouko's eyes opened and she tilted her head to the sky, her eyes rolling to the back of the head as she readied to release the bolt.  
  
"Ryouko! I love you!"  
  
The woman's body trembled, and quicker that Yosho's eyes could follow her movements, she turned her palms inward and released the bolt upon herself. Ryouko's body flew back 20 feet before slamming into a tree where she crumpled to the ground like a rag doll.  
  
Yosho frantically rolled himself over and pushed his body up with his hands. Holding his abdomen, which still screamed in pain from the energy bolt he had incurred, he stumbled over to the fallen woman, coughing blood along the way.  
  
Ryouko's body was burned and blackened. Her chest had taken most of the impact of her own energy bolt. Her kimono had been mostly burned away. She looked worse than when they had crash landed on Earth a full year ago.  
  
"Ryouko! Ryouko! Can you hear me?"  
  
A ragged breath escaped Ryouko's mouth as she heard Yosho's voice call out to her. "Yosho." She whispered.  
  
He bent down and threw his arms around the woman. "Why, Ryouko? Why did you do this?"  
  
Slowly, painfully, Ryouko began to speak. "I'm sorry Yosho. I had to do it...one morning, while you were asleep... I went to Funaho and asked her to send a report to your family...I begged for forgiveness and confessed for my sins."  
  
"But why, Ryouko! I told you no good would come of that! I told you that it was worthless, that the Jurian people would show you no mercy!"  
  
Ryouko took a moment to gather her strength. "Atoning for my sins would not have been worthless, and you know that."  
  
"This is all my fault!"  
  
"Stop blaming yourself...this isn't your fault, and it isn't Jurai's fault. I brought this upon myself because...I tried to do what was right."  
  
"I should have been able to protect you, I'm so sorry!"  
  
Ryouko smiled serenely at him. The blackened skin on her face had begun to attempt regeneration and her breathing and speech began to come more evenly. "Yosho, don't be sorry. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even have had this past year of my life. The best year I've ever had in over four thousand years of my remembrance! The only year I had with you."  
  
Yosho looked down at the trembling woman. He could tell that she had put as much of her energy into the blast as she could. Perhaps the only way for her to die would be through her own power inflicted upon her. A tear streamed down Yosho's face and landed on Ryouko's cheek.  
  
"Listen to me now. My body is already trying to regenerate. Before Kagato's will controls my body again, you must kill me now."  
  
"How can you ask such a thing of me?!"  
  
"I'm not giving you a choice. He knows where I am and he won't give up until one of us is dead, now just do as I say!" Ryouko tried to raise her voice, but her words only came out as whispers. She reached a trembling hand from the ground and touched Yosho's face.  
  
"I can not kill you." Yosho cried.  
  
"You will never be safe from me so long as Kagato lives, and he is invincible."  
  
"But I..."  
  
"Do it now! I can feel his mind searching for me again!" Ryouko's eyes softened momentarily. "Yosho, please end my suffering, Yosho. You have a long, long life ahead of you; you have many more people to meet, and new loves to learn. This is the end for me. It's time to move on."  
  
Tears freely rushed down the prince's face as he gripped the hilt of his sword. "I love you, Ryouko. I have since I first met you."  
  
Ryouko smiled serenely. Her flesh almost fully healed, she looked angelic, like she hadn't a care in the world. Yosho knew what he had to do for his angel who had risen from the ashes.  
  
In a sudden, violent fit, Ryouko's back arched as her eyes were again clouded by Kagato. Yosho jumped backwards, painfully scrambling to his feet as he again ignited his blade. Ryouko slowly rose from the ground, hovering several inches from the dirt below her. A mean snarl was frozen on her face and she was growling deep in her throat. Yosho was shocked to see tears running down her cheeks despite her attack stance.  
  
Ryouko charged the Jurian, igniting her blade along the way. Yosho ducked her advance at the last moment and spun around quickly. When Ryouko turned to meet him, he was ready, his blade impaling her through in the throat.  
  
Ryouko's eyes went wide in shock as the momentum of her body caused her to slide down half of his blade. Still struggling, her arms spun, grabbing for Yosho.  
  
Yosho said a tearful prayer and whispered to his sword hilt. Slowly, the gem in Ryouko's neck began to vibrate, detaching itself from her skin and traveling through the blade, joining the hilt with her other two gems.  
  
Ryouko's body finally went limp on Yosho's blade.  
  
Screaming, Yosho deactivated his blade. Ryouko's body fell to the ground unceremoniously in a heap. He sunk to the ground next to her, his hands gripping his forehead as he wailed his sorrow for his lost love as the heavy orange sun sank beyond the horizon.  
  
* * *  
  
Birds flew overhead of the young man as he walked through the forest. Cicadas called to each other from the tall grasses in the warm summer day. High above the treetops, the blue sky was vibrant and several puffy white clouds were carried in the gentle breeze above.  
  
Holding the hilt of his sword, Yosho could feel the presence of Ryouko. He knew her essence laid waiting in those gems. He had carried Ryouko's limp body through the forest. Her body was now clean and placed in fresh clothes, her favorite kimono.  
  
He knew that Ryouko wasn't actually dead. He had seen to that. When he had noticed how fast his tree ship was growing in the crater, he realized that the remains of Ryouko's ship had been lending Funaho power. The only explanation to this occurrence would be for Ryouko's ship to have the same power of that of Jurai, which would mean that Ryouko's power as well was of the same type.  
  
Yosho had prayed to his sword and asked it to accept Ryouko, to help his love until he could find a way to resurrect her and treat her to the life he knew she deserved. His sword had gladly obliged and accepted her.  
  
Setting Ryouko down at the mouth of a large cave, he knelt down next to her, his head bowed. "I know you liked it here, Ryo-chan." He smiled at the woman lying before him. She could be asleep had it not been for her still chest not breathing.  
  
"I don't know how long it will take before I figure out a way to bring you back, but I promise, you will live again. I have not the strength nor the ability to save you now but one day, someone with the power of both heaven and earth will free you from the torment of your master."  
  
As one more tear slipped past his chin, Yosho picked up the cyan haired woman and turned her around in his arms, showing her the outside world once again before turning and walking slowly into the darkness of the cave.  
  
* * * 


End file.
